STRUCTURE OF A LEAF

• stomata are tiny holes that allow gases to pass through them
• the epidermis is the outer layer
• the cuticle is waterproof, waxy coating on top of the epidermis
• xylem transports water from roots upwards
• phloem transports sugars downward
• chlorophyll absorbs light, and pigments the leaf green.
• transpiration is when water evaporates out of the leaf
• the stock attaches the leaf to the plant
• the veins carry water to the cells in the leaf, and help to support the leaf
• leafs are thin, for light to reach all the cells
• the waxy cuticle stops the leaf from drying out
• the upper epidermis protects the cells in the leaf
• the palisade layer is rectangular and contains cells which mostly photosynthesize
• the lower epidermis protects the cells in the leaf, and contains stomata
• guard cells control whether or not the stomata open